1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drive arrangement for articulating a closure panel of a motor vehicle between an open position and a closed position. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiment and/or use which is shown and described for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to a drive arrangement for a motor vehicle having a liftgate attached to the body for rotation about a horizontal pivot axis adjacent an upper edge of the liftgate. The drive arrangement is operative for articulating the liftgate between a closed position and an open position under a source of power.
2. Discussion
In sport utility vehicles, station wagons, minivans and other similar vehicles having a substantially vertical rear access opening, there is often provided a swinging tailgate that swings about a generally vertical axis adjacent one lateral edge of the tailgate. Minimal effort is required to open and close such a tailgate as gravity does not substantially effect movement. It is alternatively typical in such vehicles to provide a liftgate which upwardly swings about a horizontal axis to open or a tailgate which downwardly swings about a horizontal axis to open. Downwardly swinging tailgates are also common on pick-up trucks for providing access to the bed area. Where the tailgate or liftgate pivots about a horizontal axis, increased manual effort is required for opening and closing thereof.
For the convenience of the people using a vehicle having a tailgate or liftgate which pivots about a horizontal axis, it is desirable to provide a power lift system to relieve a person of the required effort for opening and closing. However, there is limited space within most vehicle bodies for incorporating a power lift system to handle the lift effort required. Various arrangements for articulating a vehicle closure panel about a horizontal axis under a source of power have been heretofore proposed. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,498 is directed to such an arrangement and is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Other known arrangements are shown in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,563,483; and 5,448,856, which are also incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
While known arrangements for articulating a closure panel of a motor vehicle about a horizontally extending pivot axis have relieved persons using the vehicle of the effort otherwise required to articulate the closure panel, they are all associated with disadvantages. For example, many known arrangements rely on complicated pulley systems for operation. Other known arrangements are expensive to manufacture and/or install. Thus, it remains desirable to provide an improved arrangement for articulating a vehicle closure panel about a horizontal axis under a source of power.